HOT TIP // Don't Be So Possessive

I like bowling, but I’m not about to invest in my own personal bowling shoes. That’s fine, because I can rent shoes at the bowling alley the 2ish times a year that I’ll go bowling. I don't have to own them.

I like swimming pools, but I’m not about to build a pool in my postage stamp patio. That’s fine, because I can pay a few bucks to go to the Patterson Park pool. I don't have to own it.

I really like beach houses, but I’m not about to purchase a second home. That’s fine, because I can rent one for a lovely vacation. Say it with me now: I don't have to own it.

 We rent or become members to avoid purchases that are too impractical all the time, but I don’t think we extend this behavior far enough. People used to bathe at public baths, and bake their bread in public ovens.

What if we avoided purchases that were practical, but not necessary?

What about renting or borrowing things even if we can technically afford them and fit them into our homes?

 Sure, I can afford a $16 book. But I can also use the public library to borrow books, movies, music, ebooks, and magazines, and then return them rather than store them.

 I’m not even talking about founding the democratic distributist commune of my dreams. (That's the subject of a much longer blog post.)  I’m talking about basic urban amenities that we all contribute to with our taxes and/or with membership fees: libraries of all kinds, public parks and recreation, bike/ scooter/ car shares, gyms, coworking spaces, etc.

These are great for freeing up space in our homes, but also for making our use of these objects more social and less private. I'm all about more community, less clutter. 

What “possessions” could you “store” in Baltimore instead of your basement?

HOT TIP // Retrieval

Instagramitis would have us all believe that each and every item we own needs to be in a clearly labeled bin with a lid, stored only with items of the same color, shape, and size if we ever want to be truly organized. (Looking at you, @thehomeedit, you beautiful pipedream, you.) But being super “organized” isn’t all that useful  if you can’t retrieve the object you need right when you need it with minimal fuss.

I’ve recently relearned this lesson while doing laundry. I needed to replace the lint trap on my washing machine hose right then and there to prevent water from squelching out of the washing machine hose and onto the floor.

I had previously stored those little wire mesh socks in my bin of household maintenance items, which also included lightbulbs, batteries, screwdrivers, the felt pads for the bottoms of chair legs, etc.

This assigned home made some logical sense. The challenge though was retrieval. When I notice the need for a new lint trap, it’s usually a few loads of laundry before the urgent, eminent flood level of lint. And at that low level of urgency, I don’t want to be bothered with crossing the basement, taking a bin off a shelf, taking off the lid, and locating the lint traps. So, I would procrastinate changing the lint trap and do another load…

And another.

And another.

And another.

Until I’d reached critical lint level and water could barely eek out of the lint-clogged washing machine hose.

In my dogmatic days, I might have become frustrated with myself for letting that slide. Nowadays, I’ve leaned into laziness. (I’m still pretty ruthless about procrasticlutter, but a clogged lint trap doesn’t have a huge impact on the feel and function of my home, so I can go easy on myself.)

Now, the jar of lint traps lives right on the ledge of the utility sink, mere inches from the washing machine hose. I don’t procrastinate changing the trap because it takes a minimal number of steps to do so: take off old trap, grab a new trap from the bag, secure new trap, proceed with life.

In general, storage should happen IN something, not ON something. My laundry area would look more organized if I installed a cabinet and stashed my lint traps IN there rather than ON the sink ledge. But I’m all about breaking my own rules when it comes to prioritizing retrieval.

So go ahead, stash your shoes on the floor by the door. Stash your refillable travel-size toiletry bottles in a pocket of your suitcase. Store things near the location they will be used, and with items that they’re likely to be used with, and above all, prioritize retrieval. Even if it’s not picture perfect.

HOT TIP// Be Able to Label

I might be an organizing iconoclast, but I don’t use a label maker.

A label maker has a hyper specific use, which y’all know I avoid. A label maker is an awkward size and shape for storing. It requires batteries, which I must purchase from a store and then store in my home. It requires special rolls of sticker paper, which I must purchase from a store and then store in my home. Hard pass. 

Whether you physically put a label on something or not, it helps to have a specific label for a particular container in mind. That’s the sign of a clear system, one that can be maintained and sustained. In my mind, I’m able to label a basket as “Off-Season Accessories,” because it houses swimming gear in winter and hats, gloves, and my ridiculous wool sock collection in the summer. (I think wool socks need to go on my NOPping list soon.) But I don’t actually have a label on it, because I don’t need a sticker to remind me what’s inside- it’s the only basket in the closet!

If you have so many bins, baskets, file folders, totes, or caddies that you feel compelled to label or else you won’t keep it all straight, put down the labelmaker and declutter first, focusing on the Sort and Purge steps of S.P.A.C.E.

We sometimes end up labeling as if our spaces won’t evolve, and then using the space that exact way because it’s how it’s been labeled, whether or not our lives have changes and our needs and desires for the space has changed, too.

If you have children (or childlike roommates) that you’re trying to train to follow the system, an actual physical label might helpful. Be specific, but not insane. “Legos” is a better label than “Red Square Legos.” “Spices” is a better label than “Pink Himalayan Salt”

But how can you label if you’ve decluttered your hyperspecific label maker, you ask?

Instead, I use Avery or Staples brand white rectangular stickers. Buy them cheap, store them flat with your other papers, and call it day.

 I write on them with sharpie. Buy them cheap, store them with your other pens, and call it a day. If you feel like spicing up your label, use a colorful sharpie and, say it with me now, call it a day.

 Alternatively, you can use a post-it note, a strip of masking or painters tape, or a dry erase markers until you’ve memorized the system, and then eliminate the label altogether.

 The cramped sans serif font of a label maker makes everything look like a stuffy office. Your own handwriting, however, is all over your house, in your planner, your grocery list, your outgoing mail, so it doesn’t look out of place on a label. If you don’t have very neat handwriting, write in all capital letters. 

 You could go out and get chalkboard markers and black labels if you want. Or buy cute gift tags on pretty cord.  Or order fancy, custom made vinyl labels in pinterest-worthy designs.

Or you could just not, and take a nap instead. 

After all, we organize our homes to better live our lives, not to better label our lives.  

HOT TIP // Set a Date

When we purchased our house last fall, we had loads of help with moving and unpacking. (Thank you all, again!) Within the first weekend of having the keys, the basic and essential equipment of our life (read: coffee maker) was unboxed and accessible.

However, the bedding for the guest room, the office supplies, the camping gear, etc., all languished in boxes. We didn’t need that stuff right away, so procrastination was a very attractive option.

So to prevent ourselves from living among boxes in perpetuity,  we planned a housewarming party three weeks from our closing date.

That held us accountable for getting our house in order in a big way, because we wanted our guests to be comfortable and at ease, not stepping over one moving box to find a seat on another.

I can’t just circle a date on the calendar and jot down something like “Deadline: House Organized!!” My future self will thoroughly ignore a wimpy little circle. My future self will not ignore the prospect of being self-conscious and embarrassed.

So, what project are you putting off?

Is your guest room/ office/ home gym combo a hot mess? Offer to host your in-laws next weekend. Are your kitchen drawers filled exclusively with ketchup packets? Plan a dinner party. Embarrassment is an excellent deterrent, so hack it to jumpstart an organization project.

P.S. For readers in the Patterson Park neighborhood, the annual home tour is on October 7th. Talk about an epic commitment. I’m offering a 25% discount on organizing sessions for those intrepid souls putting their homes on the tour. Book now.

HOT TIP // Long Live the Library

I love books as much as the next nerd, but I’ve been mostly cured of the compulsion to own each and every book I plan to read.

How can a bibliophile live with buying no new books? Simple: a library card.

I’ll let the ever smart and snarky Mr. Money Mustache explain: “I know the home-based bookshelf is emotionally attractive to many who fancy themselves to be intellectuals. But if you are really that smart, why are you paying dearly for something that you can get for free?”

Now I can “own” practically any book I want to read without spending a single dime or finding permanent storage for said book. I store borrowed books on a shelf in the coffee table, and make a point of returning completed books promptly.

Benefits of my home include its proximity to the local branch of the Pratt library, and the fact that the house has one built-in bookshelf. For a book to land a coveted spot on that shelf, I have to know I will read it again, and/or know of a friend I’d like to share it with. There are several books on the shelf that I decided to purchase only after reading a copy I’d borrowed from the library, e.g. Department of Speculation by Jenny Offill.

And if I ultimately decide that a book isn’t suiting me, I take it to the Little Free Library. There are two in Patterson Park, and if that’s not close to your Baltimore abode (or you’re one of my dedicated European readers with an understandable love of organization and inexplicable love of Baltimore-specific blogs) here’s a map of all of the Little Free Libraries in the world.

An excess of books might be the noblest form of clutter, but it’s clutter all the same. Take some time to curate your ideal bookshelf and free your home from the piles of unread and never-to-be-read-again books, by just storing them in the building you already pay for with your taxes.

P.S. If I’m purchasing a book I already know I love, or if I’m gifting books to others, or if I’m breaking my own rule because of being an occasional hypocrite, I’ll shop at a used bookstore or order it new from Greedy Reads or another locally owned, independent bookstore. Never Amazon, y’all.

HOT TIP // The Corkscrew Test

We can free up so much space in our kitchen if we’re willing to cull those objects that only serve one, hyper-specific purpose.

Let’s interrogate our gadgets with three simple questions, adapted from Sam Bennet's work at The Organized Artist:

• Is there an alternative to the tool that would work just as well?

• Do you do that job so frequently that your life would be markedly easier with that specific tool?

• Is the tool challenging to store, to keep in working order, to keep clean?

Sam Bennett calls this the Corkscrew Test. For her, and for me, a corkscrew is worth owning even though it doesn’t serve multiple purposes like a pot or knife. Read on...

Object: Corkscrew

Is there an alternative tool that would work just as well?

I suppose I could technically shove the cork into the bottle with a knife or the handle of spoon, but that would probably get cork crumbs in my wine. I could try the internet’s dozen ways of opening a bottle without one, but many of them involve repeatedly thwacking a bottle against a wall. Hard pass.

A corkscrew is hands down the best and easiest way to open a bottle of wine.

Do you do that job so frequently that you’re life would be markedly easier with that specific tool?

I’ll open a bottle of wine every week or so, and a couple of bottles for parties at the house. I save a lot of time and energy using a corkscrew, not to mention sparing myself a great deal of embarrassment.

Is it challenging to store, to keep in working order, to keep clean?

Not at all. It’s small, it lays flat in a drawer, it doesn’t require replacement parts, and it’s easy to keep clean.

Verdict: I can own a corkscrew guilt-free. (Full disclosure, my corkscrew is also a beer bottle opener, so *technically* it is a multi-purpose tool.)

Here's another:

Object: Avocado Tool

Is there an alternative tool that would work just as well?

Yes, a knife. I already own three that could suffice.

Do you do that job so frequently that you’re life would be markedly easier with that specific tool?

Using a knife thus far hasn’t been that aggravating, so no, preparing an avocado with the specific tool wouldn’t be markedly easier.

Is it challenging to store, to keep in working order, to keep clean?

It’s not bulky. I’d probably hand wash it considering all the nooks and crannies in the tool, but it is dishwasher safe.

Verdict: I’ll stick with the knife.

For me, a rice cooker fails the corkscrew test, but a salad spinner passes. A bread maker fails, but reusable stainless steel straws pass.

How about you? Maybe an apple slicer makes no sense for your lifestyle. Or maybe an apple slicer helps your prepare a healthy snack for your kids after school and you'd be lost without it. You get to decide. 

Which objects pass your corkscrew test? Celebrate them.

Which hyper-specific tools don’t deserve prime real estate in your kitchen? Let them go.

HOT TIP // Don’t Shop On Payday

Just got paid...Friday night…

So payday is categorically awesome, but feeling flush on payday can be a huge trap for making impulse buys (a.k.a. collecting future clutter).

An easy way to stick to your budget and avoid buyer’s remorse is to impose a rule: No Purchases on Pay Day.

If you’ve waited two weeks for that check to hit your account, you can wait one more day to use it. You can admire beautiful and useful things and add them to your Shopping List, and then let that paycheck age like a fine wine in your bank account. 

Adding a little bit of time and inconvenience to our impulses allows us to suss out our true needs and wants from our kneejerk, ooh-look-a-shiny-object reactions. We'll have a chance to look at our list objectively post-payday, and likely remove some items. 

This rule also gives us the chance to remember the water bill due next week, the baby shower gift we still need to purchase, and the groceries we should probably pick up after the initial dopamine hit of payday wears off, keeping our budget on track. Maybe an item remains on our list, but we delay purchasing it until our obligations are met.

So avoid the stores, age your money, and think about what you can do instead of what you can buy. Experiences, especially when shared, can bring us long-lasting contentment and don't take up any space in our home. 

HOT TIP // The Minimalists Game Remix

You may have already guessed that I’m a BIG fan of Marie Kondo, and I personally believe in tackling our stuff, storage, and systems in one fell swoop rather than doing a little bit of tidying every week (or heaven forbid every day!) for the rest of our natural lives.

But that level of intensity is not for everyone. Some people find starting small is easier than an overhaul, and they respond better to the Minimalists Game.

In contrast with the Konmari method of one-and-done tidying, the Minimalists Game is more of a slow and steady approach.  Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, aka The Minimalists, suggest people commit to a month-long challenge of letting go. The game is to discard or donate 1 item on day 1, 2 items on day 2, 3 items on day 3, all the way up to 30 items on day 30. If you complete the challenge, you’ll have let go of 465 objects that were taking up space in your home and in your life.

You can opt for the Konmari approach, or you can opt for the Minimalists approach, and either way you’d free yourself from a great number of objects. There are many paths up this minimalist mountain.

I’d like to suggest a third. If you are drawn to the inertia-busting intensity of Konmari AND the little-by-little habit building of Minimalists Game, try this: Rather than start with one object on day 1, two objects on Day 2,  and so on for 30 days, flip that timeline. Start with 30 objects on day 1, 29 on day 2, 28 on day 3, until your 30th day ends with you choosing 1 object to donate or discard.

Purging your possessions draws on both your gut-level intuition and your rational analysis. Sometimes you pick up one object and your gut shouts “Keep that treasure” or “Toss that junk!” Other times you need to think and reflect on whether or not you actually use it, if you have something else that serves that function better, if you know of a friend who could utilize it much more than you could.

Tackling a tidy with some level of intensity helps tune you in to your gut, and helps you streamline your analysis. If you follow the Konmari method, you’ll hone your discrimination skills with less emotionally charged categories like clothes and books, so you’re best prepared to tackle sentimental items that take up more mental space than physical space.

With the Minimalist Game Remix, you spend Day 1 scouring your home for 30 items to donate or discard, and as such you’ll have 30+ opportunities to practice that discrimination. By the time you get to Day 30, choosing that final object will be considerably easier, even if it’s a sentimental item.  

And you'll still end up with 465 less items taking up space in your home. (Or less, if you reach a satisfying click point sooner like some others.)

HOT TIP // In vs. On

If you want your home to look and feel more organized, embrace the difference between In and On.

Homes with objects on surfaces tend to look and feel cluttered. Stuff is ON the floor, ON the counter, ON the armchair, ON the dining table. Even if the stuff is useful, beautiful, and meaningful, it can start to look like junk when it is strewn about on surfaces.

Surfaces do not make good storage. Surfaces are good for verbs, like chopping vegetables, folding laundry, paying bills, crafting, sleeping, eating, sitting, etc. Reserve your surfaces for these activities. Don’t go putting nouns ON them.

Store your nouns in something instead. Storage works best and looks best when it’s happening IN a closet, IN a cabinet, IN a drawer, IN a tray, IN a basket. These spaces aren’t designed for activities, they’re designed for stuff.

Look at a hot mess in your home. Can any of the objects there be stored IN something so the activities meant for the space can once again take priority? If you've done the sort and purge steps from S.P.A.C.E. with me, you’ll probably have a lot of new real estate available in closets, drawers, or cabinets.

There are two exclusive exceptions to the In vs. On rule: you may store things ON a hook or ON a shelf. If you’re really struggling to store every object In something, you might consider installing a hook or a shelf. This cheat also works well when considering retrieval: taking a coat off a hook is often simpler than taking it out of a closet.

That said, break the In vs. Out rule only if absolutely necessary!

If objects find their way onto a surface throughout the course of the day, which they inevitably will as you go about your life, just be sure to adhere to curfew and get those things back in their assigned homes. 

HOT TIP // Independents Day

I’ll rarely tell you to shop til you drop, but I will tell you this:

Shop as much as you want, provided you’re shopping at local and independently owned businesses. (And it’s on your shopping list.)

According to the awesome researchers at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, shopping at a local, independent business returns 3 times as much money to your community than shopping at a chain.

Shopping at a local, independent business returns nearly 50 times as much money to your community than shopping online.

Local business owners are more likely to contribute to the community through volunteering, local government, and participating in civic causes and events.

Supporting a local store helps make Charm City charming.

HOT TIP // Thou Shall Not Purchase from the The NOPping List

I have 36 rolls of toilet paper in my basement. Until that number falls to single-digits, toilet paper is on my NOPping List. NOP as in No Over-Purchasing. NOPping as in not-shopping.

Introducing my 2nd commandment: Thou Shall Not Purchase from the The NOPping List.

Buying only items on your shopping list is an important step in curbing impulse buys and stemming the tide of stuff into your home. That's why it's my first commandment.

You can up the ante by following your nopping list, too.

The nopping list can and should include comestibles and toiletries that you will use up. Let's say you stocked up on an item you use often while there was a sale. Great! BUT, before you forget about the multiples in your pantry or your bathroom the next time you’re on autopilot at the store, add it to your nopping list so you don’t overpurchase.

Consider adding other goods to your nopping list, as well. I won’t buy another pair of jeans until one of my current pairs wears all the way out. My jeans have filled the space I have dedicated for them, and to acquire more would be needless and burdensome. I am not willing to redesign my closet organization for the sake of yet another pair of jeans when the ones I currently own serve me perfectly.

Add your weaknesses here, too. Cait Flanders, author of The Year of Less, banned herself from buying take-out coffee for two years. I’ve banned myself from buying anything you could call a school supply until I've used up the many pens and notebooks I have now.  I should probably add houseplants to my nopping list because it’s getting a little jungly in my house. Scarves should also have a semi-permanent slot on my nopping list, when I finally face the reality of my scarf-hoarding tendencies. 

I keep my shopping and nopping list as one note in my phone, so I can consult lists before checking out and avoid overpurchasing items that would then overflow their dedicated space assignments.

How long an item stays on your nopping list is up to you. Maybe that item stays on your nopping list only until you’ve used up your supplies at home, and then it’s transferred to your shopping list. Or, maybe you decide to give something up forever.

Either way, commit it to writing, and JUST SAY NO.

HOT TIP // Curfew

Remember that PSA that ran every night?  A stern, deep voice warned: “It’s 10 pm. Do you know where your children are?”

10 pm is a great time to know where your children are, but let’s not stop there. It’s 10 pm, do you know where your car keys are? How about the water bill that came in the mail today? The bag of drycleaning you need to drop off first thing in the morning? Your kid’s lunchbox?

I love Amanda Sullivan’s idea of “The Last Sweep.” Her idea is that we should all take a minute to put our house in order before bed so our mornings are less frantic and frazzled. The Last Sweep is quick and mindless, because you’re using the systems you’ve already designed when you had time and energy to do so.

Decide what feels orderly enough to you. Maybe you can’t stand dirty dishes on the counter, but in the sink is okay. Maybe dirty dishes in any spot is unacceptable, but leaving clean dishes in the dish rack is okay. Maybe dishes need to be cleaned, dried, and returned to their assigned shelf before you can drift off to sleep.

Whatever level of order feels right, don’t let your possessions break curfew. Before you head to bed for the night, know where things are. Because they're where you’ve assigned them to be.